A New Way to Booze at the Game: Self-Service Beer Machines

Minnesota Twins fans — or at least about 200 of them — may have been too tipsy to get disheartened by their home team's loss to the New York Yankees this weekend, thanks to new self-service draft beer machines unveiled at Target Field.

As the Star Tribune reports, the machines are designed to help thirsty sports fanatics "'customize'" their beer throughout the game, choosing from options like Bud Light and Goose Island. The concept is simple, the article continues: After showing proper ID, patrons purchase "vending cards" pre-loaded with $10 or $20. Then, users take their vendor cards to the automated machines and can choose how much of each beer they'd like to try and when, paying each time with debited dollars from their prepaid vendor card.

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To keep things orderly, there is a maximum beer withdrawal of 48 ounces per 15 minutes for each card, and the machines are closed for business, just like the live-action concession stands, during the final two innings of each game. In a solid proof of concept, approximately 200 vendor cards were sold during this Sunday's Twins game, satisfying the concession company Delaware North's General Manager, Pete Spike.

We hope these machines are rolled out nationwide soon, because every game-goer deserves the freedom to serve his own draft.